Sunderland were spirited at Manchester City, but Gus Poyet's side look like they are heading for the Championship

MAN CITY 2-2 SUNDERLAND

Click here to read Martin Samuel's full match report from the Etihad Stadium.

Late drama at the Etihad Stadium not only gave what was supposed to be a three-horse title race a rather lopsided look but also went some way to settling at least one of the arguments at the other end of the Barclays Premier League table.

As Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone floundered like a stranded fish in his goalmouth last night, it was hard to escape the feeling that Sunderland’s hopes of survival disappeared the moment Samir Nasri’s shot eventually rolled apologetically over the goal-line.

In other circumstances, a draw against Manchester City might have fortified Gus Poyet and Sunderland. Had the result stayed at 1-1, minds would have focused on appetising forthcoming home games against Cardiff, West Brom and Swansea.

When victory is tossed away in such negligent fashion as this, though, wind tends to disappear from sails pretty quickly. Regret replaces momentum and as such it is very hard to see Sunderland escaping the bottom three from this point on.

Sunderland were admirable. They didn’t buckle after Fernandinho’s early goal and were the more progressive team for much of the evening.

Certainly not helped by an inexplicably subdued home crowd, City were pretty dreadful.

Sadly for Poyet, though, the statistics don’t lie. They have lost eight of their last 10 games, winning none.

In midwinter Poyet briefly looked as though he would produce some kind of miracle on Wearside and make a poor side a good side. Over time, though, Sunderland reverted to type.

They were a mutinous rabble under Paolo Di Canio and Poyet fixed that. What he hasn’t been able to change is the fact they aren’t good enough.

This week, Poyet has had to deny rumours that he wishes to resign. ‘Stupidity,’ Poyet said of that on Wednesday night. Sunderland supporters must hope now their club don’t sack him.

The last thing this club need this summer is another change of manager. Sunderland have had four in the last three-and-a-half years, nine in the last 11. The last manager to serve for 100 games was Roy Keane.

That isn't helping! Goalkeeper Mannone made a horrific error to gift Samir Nasri a late equaliser

Oops! Mannone allowed a ball to trickle across and eventually over his goal line with two minutes to play

Slapped home: Fernandinho scored for Manchester City as they took the lead against the Black Cats

On the slide: The Brazilian notched beyond Vito Mannone to put the hosts ahead at the Etihad Stadium

At the double! Connor Wickham scored twice for Sunderland as they went 2-1 up away at Man City

During that time, Sunderland have achieved largely nothing for a club of their size, which shows either that managers have been recruited unwisely or sacked unjustly. The truth is likely a mixture of the two.

This time round, owner Ellis Short must keep a steady hand. If Sunderland do go down, it will be a summer of transition and upheaval as players on big Premier League salaries, such as Wes Brown, John O’Shea and Adam Johnson, will probably have to be sold.

Poyet would appear to be the candidate to minimise the effect of these changes. At his previous club, Brighton, the Uruguayan took some time to build a squad that could play the progressive, passing football that he believes in and when he did he took them to within a few points of automatic promotion to the Premier League last season.

This season, or two-thirds of a season, was always likely to be difficult for Poyet at Sunderland. Di Canio left him too few players capable of playing his kind of football.

Opening up: The emotional drain of losing the Capital One Cup final appears to have taken its toll

They have had their moments under the Uruguayan. They ran City pretty close in the Capital One Cup final in early March and it’s not hard to think the emotional and physical investment made on that day have cost them subsequently.

Those who know Poyet tell how the defeat at Wembley ‘devastated’ him, coming as it did from a leading position at half-time. Maybe his players felt it that badly, too.

Facing a City side that have endured a slump of their own recently - they have lost five of their last 15 games - Sunderland had a shot at salvation. Until Mannone’s error, the home team had not looked like equalising.

Sunderland look like a team who have forgotten how to win. It happens in football and they brace themselves for grim news in May. If it comes, they could help themselves enormously by learning from past mistakes and keeping the same name on the manager’s door.